Lawmaker asks DOJ, BI to issue HDO vs Philhealth execs named in graft suit

ADEPUTY majority leader of the House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to immediately place embattled officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) under watchlists and hold departure orders (HDO) and Interpol red notices.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who personally attended the budget briefing of his agency, quickly insisted that he did not violate any law and performed to the best of his abilities in addressing allegations of corruption in Philhealth.

Duque was not included in the filing of charges recommended by the President, notwithstanding a Senate committee of the whole report recommending charges against the health chief who is an exofficio chairman of Philhealth.

Moreover, Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera said the processes leading to immigration watchlists, HDOS and Interpol Red Notices should be set in motion so that when time comes for those formalities to be done, actions will be swift.

The lawmaker also asked authorities to secure files and computers of Philhealth, which may be used as evidence.

“As Congress conducts its hearings, I appeal to the DOJ and the NBI to immediately cause the issuance of the needed legal authorization to secure the files and computers of Philhealth to make sure evidence and witnesses do not suddenly vanish without any trace and so conveniently for the plunderers,” she added.

President Duterte said at least six former and current officials of the state health insurance agency will face charges for their involvement in the alleged anomalies.

For his part, Duque said, “Yes, I am ex-officio chair of Philhealth but as mandated by the Universal Health Care law, I do not have voting rights and the Senate President should know that having passed that landmark law himself. Second, the Board is a collegial body, the chair does not control the Board so to say I abandoned my duties and was negligent are malicious.”

“I did not abandon nor was I negligent,” argued Duque. “I do not understand why the Senate President keeps harping on me when I have not committed any crime, or violation of any law. That has been borne out in the Senate records courtesy of the Blue Ribbon Committee of Chairman [Richard] Gordon and even his bosom friend, Sen. Ping Lacson, who affirmed the same finding in the Senate President’s committee of the whole. Lacson even said in his recent press statement, ‘there may not be enough evidence to recommend criminal charges against Duque.”

Duque is also heads the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which is composed of 27 government agencies that was convened last January 28 and currently made up of 34 government agencies.

“There is a public health emergency and my priority was to deal with the pandemic. Is the Senate President saying that I should have focused more in Philhealth than build capacities, review the public health supply chain and logistics, put together policies and protocols, implement the National Action Plan, set up a data hub and the like? Am I being accused by the Senate President of focusing more on the pandemic? Is that wrong? Is saving lives not the priority, Mr. Senate President?” Duque asked.

The Task Force Philhealth, headed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted their findings to the President last September 14, 2020.

The 177-page report contained testimony of 14 witnesses; reports and summaries of various cases whether under investigation or for resolution; documents submitted by resource persons and; reports and recommendations by other bodies including the Senate of the Philippines.